Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

Gimmie That Old Time Music

While there is still a decent market for vinyl and a great many aficionados, few local groups release music in that format. Most musicians find it easier to just put out CDs.

But garage rockers the Bitter Pills will soon put out their second release on vinyl, this one a split with the Pink Sexies. The group has yet to release anything on CD. The Pills' music harks back to late '60s garage rock and '70s proto punk—their sound at times reminiscent of the Pretty Things—so it's not surprising that they have a love for vinyl.

Keyboardist and singer Nathan Moses says the format just sounds better than digital. "I think it's the bass response, the bass guitar and the bass drum. It seems the low end is more realistic than with CDs. It's more of a warm tone."

The split 7-inch release (which looks like a 45-rpm single, but plays at 33-1/3 speed) will feature four songs—two from each group on different sides. The Pills recorded "Shadow of a Doubt" and "What's Wrong," songs that Moses says emphasize the organ. The Sexies' songs include "Another Teenage Breakdown" and "Holly."

The artwork is similarly split, with Pink Sexies' singer Hamo drawing his group's side. "His side is definitely Robert Crumb influenced," Moses says. "It reminds me of Big Brother and the Holding Company."

The record was delayed for a few weeks because the groups weren't happy with the first test pressing. Erika Records in California is pressing 500 of the records, with the bands splitting the cost.

Making vinyl can be a little trickier than CDs, Moses says. Part of the problem is the heavier the bass, the larger the grooves are. "So it can create problems. You might have to remove songs from the disc."

Although a lot of people don't have record players (and some fans have bugged the Pills to put out a CD), Moses says a surprising number of people do have them. Moses works at Lost & Found Records, one of the few places around that specialize in vinyl. "More people are buying record players. I notice a lot of kids come into the store buying them," he says. "Teenagers are really into it." The form is especially big with dance and hip hop music, but there are also many indie rock bands devoted to it.

On July 26, the Bitter Pills hit the road for an extensive tour, heading through Texas, on to California and up the West Coast through Oregon and Washington. Then they'll move East to Montana and Salt Lake City, down to St. Louis and on to Chicago.

"I'm hoping the van will make it. This is the first time we've gone this far," Moses says.

The Bitter Pills will perform with the Rude Street Peters Saturday, July 20, at the Pilot Light. Tickets are $5. (The Pink Sexies won't be on the bill, but may join the Pills for a few songs.)

Would You Like Some Gin With That?

Tonic, the new enterprise from the folks who brought you Blue Cats and Fiction, opened its doors Wednesday, July 10 for a sneak preview. The proprietors have crafted a venue that strives to be all things to all people. To a large extent, that effort succeeds.

Each of Tonic's walls is decorated in a different style. As I nursed a Sierra Nevada (one of only two beers on tap, but hey, that's what Barley's is for), I faced the safari wall, a mottled tan accented by zebra patterns and African masks. To my right, rounded windows were fringed with beer pump handles, radiating out like spokes on a wheel. Behind the bar, T.G.I. Friday's-style kitsch is taken to a new level; two light-framed motorcycles stand behind the bartenders' heads. Vehicles are a theme, of sorts; the DJ booth is constructed from the front half of a VW bus. Knoxville's record scratchers will be spinning there every night, starting at 10 p.m. or so.

Perhaps the best ambiance is to be found outside in the courtyard. With Tonic, Blue Cats and the Cabana Daquiri bar all open under the same management in the same courtyard, Knoxville now has something of an entertainment complex. While waiting for a concert to start, one can cool her heels at a patio table or head upstairs for a bite to eat (admission to Tonic is free when you pay the Blue Cats cover). Drop by on a Wednesday, when there's half-price appetizers. The food's a cut above your normal bar grub, with creamy garlic mashed potatoes, zesty pasta salad and a variety of Mediterranean-style olives the standouts. The "traditional" humus was a little too spicy—trust me on this, I'm half-Israeli. To wash those nibbles down, there's 25 bottled beers, including seven microbrews, and the usual liquor.

If you're just looking to chill out, Tonic's got you covered with pool, darts and a Pac-Man machine. In a more innovative move, the club has partnered with Disc Exchange to create a record-store-with-a-twist. Every Monday night, Tonic will place five new releases on their custom jukebox. Grab a drink, slip a dollar into the machine, and preview 10 of the latest tracks. If you like what you hear, you can buy it the next day at DE. The jukebox will also showcase upcoming Blue Cats performers.

Those looking to get sweaty might try Sunday Fundae, when Blue Cats gets converted into a mini dance club ruled over by DJ Slink. There'll be drink specials and "party hits" playing in the main room.

Tonic: Open every night. Cabana Daquiri bar: Open every night, weather permitting.

Go.

Thursday: Rock out with Gran Torino at Market Square; then tip your hat to punky new-wavers Piedmont Charisma at the Pilot Light.

Friday: Miranda Louise has been called the best female vocalist in Nashville. Find out why, at Sassy Ann's.

Saturday: You missed it before, don't disappoint us again. Go see the Best of Valleyfest film festival at the Palace Theater.

Sunday: Buy a "Play All Day" Volunteer Landing pass. It's just $25, and you get to visit seven attractions as often as you like between now and Aug. 10—including the Three Rivers Rambler, which costs nearly that much anyway.

Monday: Wander by the Clear Vision Window Gallery on your lunch break.

Tuesday: Write a sonnet; dedicate it to your fish.

Wednesday: Bring your Kit-Kats and Milky Ways to Tennessee Stage Company's Arms and the Man at the Black Box Theatre.

—Emma "Moptart" Poptart with Joe Tarr and Tamar Wilner